Rail-insulator.



J.` G; MUELLBR.

RAIL INSULATOR. APPLIOATION FILED sEPT.2s, 1914.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

3mm/to@ C1 lVLLe ller,

Joh@

N N N that portion of the opening adjacent to the ing device. It will be understood, however, that these steel Washers are used merely to save unnecessary wear and that the insulating device is complete without them.

The washers may be arranged ditl'erently relatively to the end of the sleeve, but I prefer to extend the ends of the insulating sleeve slightly beyond thev opposite ends of the rail-engaging device and to mount the insulating washers on the ends of the insulating sleeves, although this is not essential. In Fig. 2 I have shown the washer as 'arranged to fit about the rod 4 and having sleeve 7 enlarged or yrabbeted to receive the adjacent end of the sleeve. In Fig. 3 I have shown a somewhat similar constructionbut haine Nbeveled the wall of the opening and tapered the end of the sleeve so that these two parts may be drawn into firm engagement and caused to lit'snugly one over the other.`

The operation of the insulating device will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be yapparent that the connecting rod and the spacing sleeve, which are the only parts extending between the rails, are insulated from the rails themselves, so that there is no possibility of electrical connection bein'g established between the two rails. Further, it will be apparent that the construction' and arrangement of the insulating device is such that it is subjected to very little wear. None of the Weight of the train upon the rails is transmitted to the .device and the. arrangement is such that the vibration of the rails, due

. to the passing of the trains, will cause but little wear onthe insulating device, and will not be liable to break the insulation at any point. Further, it will be apparent that the device is very simple and inexpensive "in its construction, thereby permitting it to be applied at a low cost. y

The insulating material is commonly .formed of compressed fiber or vof other compositions which are more or less injured yby continued exposure to moisture. When my insulating device is mounted on thev rail brace, as above described, it would not ord1- narily beinjured by exposure to the Weather, but there may be occasions or locations where it would be desirable to protect the same from moisture. When this is desired, I will inclose the sleeve, which extends beneath the rail, ina jacket of water proof material, such as sheet metal, as shown at 1l in Fig. 3, itbeing understood that the sheet metal lies wholly within the washers so as `not to form any electrical' contact with the rod.

While I have shown and described one embodiment o'f my invention, it willv be understood that this has been chosen for the purpose of illustration only and that I do not wish to be limited to the details of construction shown and described, as obvious modiiications will occur to a person skilled in the art. j

Having thus fully described my invention,l what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination, with clamping devices adapted to engage the flanges on the opposite sides of a rail and having apertures arranged beneath said rail, a rod extending through the apertures in said i clamping devices and adapted to hold vthe same in clamping-engagement with said flanges, oi an insulating sleeve extending through both of said openings and surrounding said rod, the ends of said sleeve extending beyondthe ends of said said rod which extend through the open-v ings in saidrail-engaging devices, and extending beyond both ends of said devices, and washers mounted on the ends of said sleeves and interposed between the ends of the rail-engaging devices and said fastening devices and said spacing device, respectively. 1

3. The combination with devices adapted. 'respectively to engage the two rails of a track and having openings extending transversely of said rails, a rod extending through said openings, fastening devices on the outer ends of said rod and a spacing device extending along said rod between said rail-engaging devices, of means for insu- Vlatingsaid rod from said rails', said means comprising sleeves surrounding those portions of sai'drod which extend through thel openings in said rail-engaging devices, and extending beyond both ends of said devices, and washers extending about said rod adjacent to the ends of said sleeves, the o enings v in said washers being ,enlar e on one side to receivethe ends of sai sleeves.

4. The combination'with devices adapted respectively to engage the two rails of a track and having openings extending transversely of sai rails, a rod extending through said openings,` fastening devices on vthe outer ends of said rod and a spacing device extending along said rod between said rail-engaging devices,l of means for insuleting said red from seid rails., said means 'ehe sleeves being epeed 'to engage the comprising sleeves surrounding those porared openings in said Washers. i0

tions of said rod which extend through the Ein testimony whereof, ax my signature onenmgs 1n sind all-engaglng devlees, and 1n presence of 'two Wltnesses.

extending beyond both ends of seid devices, JHN Gr. UELLER. and Weshes extending about said rod eja- Witnesses cenJ to the ends of seid sleeves, the openings F. W. SCHAEFER,

in said Washers being Hared and the ends of EDWRD L. 

